


A Night to Remember

by BigCatLover2020



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, Julian tries to be a romantic doofus, M/M, Masquerade, surprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 04:38:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20129479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigCatLover2020/pseuds/BigCatLover2020
Summary: After 3 years Countess Nadia decides to host the masquerade once more in celebration of the flooded district and south district reparations being finished. Julian decides that he wants to surprise the apprentice with something during that night.





	A Night to Remember

**Author's Note:**

> My apprentice has a pretty normal name so if you wanted an extravagant name like Balthazar than you’ve come to the wrong fic. This is also the first fan fiction I’ve ever posted so be gentle on me please 😂

It’s been 3 years since the Devil’s attempt to make the two worlds merge. For those who didn’t know what had happened that fateful masquerade night, life continued as normal. However, for the heroes who had helped stop the Devil’s wicked plans, life was just beginning to return to normal. 

Countess Nadia and Portia were in a lovely stable relationship, Asra stayed in the palace and caught up with his parents, Doctor Satrinava returned to Prakra and opened a clinic, and Mazelinka went on the occasional pirate voyage but relatively remained in Vesuvia. 

~~~  
Portia stood on the platform in the center of the town square, her reddish brown hair looked as though it were actual fire in the sunlight. Gripped in Portia’s hands was a scroll. She cleared her throat. 

“Citizens of Vesuvia! The Countess Nadia wishes to inform every man, woman, non-binary person, and child that after three years of careful considerations the masquerade shall be hosted once again! The masquerade shall be held in celebration to the reparations of the south district and the flooded district.” Portia’s blue eyes glistened happily in the sunny square. All eyes were on her. It was deathly quiet. “After many years, the flooded district is now completely dry, and all buildings in both districts have had reparations. The masquerade shall be held one month from today. Countess Nadia requests that every person who wishes to attend practice their dancing, for this shall be a most joyous occasion!”

The crowd erupted into a thunderous applause. People whistled and cheered. Portia rolled up the scroll and stepped off the wooden platform. She pushed her way through the rowdy crowd. Her face flushed a deep red and she held back a giggle, she had work to do!

~~~  
It hadn’t been incredibly busy at Julian’s clinic, there had been a few checkups and only two people had come in with broken bones. The door swung open with a loud bang. Julian jumped up and looked hurriedly at the door. Standing in the doorway was Portia. She ran over to Julian, excitement etched on her face. 

“Ilya! Have you heard the news?” Portia exclaimed. 

“What? What news?” Julian asked obliviously. 

“Nadia is hosting another masquerade! It’s in celebration for fixing up the flooded and south districts.” Julian zoned out at the word masquerade. The wheels were turning in his head. Portia reaches up and waved her hand in front of Julian’s face. “Ilya are you ok?”

“What? Oh. Never better! Masquerade you say?” Julian gave Portia his trademark grin. “In fact I have a plan.”

“Is this another of your idiotic plans Ilyushka?” Julian dramatically gripped his chest. 

“Why Pasha! Name one plan of mine that has ever been incredibly stupid.”

“That time you thought that you should sell your soul to the Devil to protect Mason.” Julian flinched. He gave a weak chuckle. 

“Well at least I didn’t.” He spoke softly, and Portia knew she had gone too far. 

“I’m sorry Ilya. Whatever your planning I’m sure it’s going to turn out amazing.” Portia gave Julian a soft hug. “I need to get back to the palace. I have a lot of work to do. You’ll be ok?” Julian perked right up as if nothing had happened. 

“Oh Pasha I just knew you cared. Yes I shall be perfectly fine.” Julian shooed Portia out of the clinic. “I’ll see you later Pasha! I need to close up the clinic.”

Julian closed the door and quickly got ready to go to the marketplace. Mason would expect him at the shop but Julian had something he wanted to get first. 

~~~  
Mason hung up some more herbs and set a clean tablecloth on the table in the back of the shop, his shoulder length light brown hair was ruffled from hours of fingers running through it. Mason glanced quickly at the clock. Julian should be here by now. Mason’s green eyes flashed with worry. What if something happened to Julian? What if he was injured? Injured and calling out to Mason for help that he wouldn’t receive because Mason wasn’t there. As he was pacing the shop the door opened, the bell gave a sweet jingle. Mason looked over and sighed. He was overreacting as usual. 

“Darling! I’m home!” Julian swung open his arms and gave a big grin. “Sorry I’m so late. I ran out of a few things at the clinic and needed to restock them.”

Julian hated lying to Mason, but he couldn’t know this secret. Not yet anyway. “Why don’t you give me a tarot reading! It’s been ages since I’ve last had one.” Julian rested his head on Mason’s shoulder and looked up at him, smiling. 

In the back room Mason shuffled his tarot deck and cut it into three piles. Julian pointed to one. Mason set the other two piles to the side and grabbed the pile Julian had pointed to. He spread it out and told Julian to pick three cards. Julian did so. Mason flipped over the first card. 

“The Moon upright.” Mason closed his eyes and listened as the arcana spoke to him. “Don’t ignore your inner voice. Trust your intuition to lead you true, and the darkness will fade.” Julian frowned but nodded. Mason flipped the next card. 

“The Magician upright.” Mason listened to the arcana again. “You have a plan. Execute the plan and it shall bring happiness to those close to you.” Julian gave a soft sight of relief, which did not go unnoticed by Mason. Finally Mason flipped over the final card.

“Death upright.” Once again Mason listened to the wisdom of the arcana. “Change is coming. Relationships will change for the better.” Julian gave a wide grin at the reading for his future. 

Julian gave Mason a peck on the cheek and went upstairs to cook supper. 

~~~  
A week before the masquerade Julian called Nadia, Portia, Asra and Mazelinka to, what he said was, a very important meeting. Nadia immediately offered the palace for their meeting, during lunch of course. Julian stood from his chair and cleared his throat. 

“I thank all of you for coming here for this meeting,” Julian’s voice quivered anxiously. “The truth is...”

“Spit it out Ilyushka!” Portia exclaimed. Nadia restes her hand gently on Portia’s, quieting the short girl almost immediately. 

“I need your help.” Everyone stared at Julian with wide eyes. “I want to...” Portia let out a squeal that practically drowned out Julian’s voice. “...the Masquerade. I’d like your help or achieve that.”

“Oh Ilya! Yes of course we’ll help you! Right Dia? Mazelinka? Asra?” Asra smiled and confirmed that he would help out as well. 

Mazelinka whipped out her wooden spoon and proceeded to smuck Julian over the head with it. “‘Course we’ll help ya Ilya. Ya coulda asked us like any normal person.” Mazelinka frowned. “I take that last pet back. In all the years I’ve known ya, ya’ve never been normal.” Everyone laughed, including Julian even though he was rubbing the now sore spot on his head. 

~~~  
It was a few hours before the start of the masquerade. Nadia requested Mason to come get ready at the palace with herself and Asra. Meanwhile Julian was to get ready with Portia at her cottage. 

“Say hi to Pepi for me!” Mason shouted as he walked out of his shop door and towards the carriage awaiting him, Mason’s outfit had been sent to the palace a few days prior. Before Mason had gone too far however Julian grabbed his hand as Mason was stepping into the carriage. At this leverage, the pair were practically the same height. Julian took Mason’s hand and pulled him down gently. Julian lightly grasped the sides of Mason’s head. Julian kissed him softly yet filled with passion. When they broke apart he lifted Mason’s hand and kissed the knuckles. 

“I’ll see you tonight my dear.” Julian murmured in a husky voice. 

“Julian what brought this on?” Mason asked bewilderedly. 

“Oh just looking forward to tonight.” Julian chuckled as if he had some inside joke. “Speaking of which I shan’t hold you up any longer. Nadia is expecting you.”

Mason laughed as he stepped into the carriage, Julian gave a very dramatic bow and only returned to an upright position when the carriage had gone out of sight. Julian then made his way towards Portia’s cottage. 

At the palace Navra, Nadia’s orange haired sister, jumped up and down excitedly when her sister told her the plan. Julian and Mason would meander around as they please and then head to the ballroom. In the ballroom everyone there shall dance for a while until Julian and Mason’s favourite song comes on. Then the group shall slowly get everyone off the dance floor. 

Mason was ushered into Nadia’s bedroom, Nadia, Asra and Navra were already dressed up in their costumes. Only Mason remained in his everyday clothes. The three forced Mason into a chair in front of a vanity. They braided his hair into two braids keeping the hair from falling into his eyes, which then met at the back of his head and turned into one braid. Other than those stylings his hair was practically left untouched. Nadia placed a small white rose where the two braids meet. On anyone else, the style would look feminine but Nadia and Navra managed to make Mason look incredibly masculine. Next was the costume. It looked like an exact copy of Julian’s costume, except instead of the main colours being black and red, they were white and gold. Where there would normally be a bow tie, there was none. Mason did not fancy such constricting articles of clothing. His mask was the final piece. Like Julian’s it had feathers and a beak, but these feathers were much smoother with tips tinted gold, and the beak was much softer than Julian’s. Asra carefully helped Mason place it around his head and tie it. By this point a few hours had passed. Asra would be the one who would help him find Julian, as agreed upon. 

At Portia’s cottage Julian could hardly sit still. Portia wore her cat mask while Mazelinka wore her normal everyday clothes. Julian stood in his raven suit and mask. The same one he had worn when they had fought the Devil. 

“So ladies,” Pepi made a small noise in the corner of the room. “and Pepi, how do I look?” 

“You look positively breathtaking Ilya.” Portia giggled. 

“Yer certainly a real charmer Ilya.” Mazelinka chuckled. Some bells chimed in the distance. The masquerade had begun. 

“Well Pasha? Shall we go find our companions?” Julian offered Portia his arm, which she graciously took. 

Asra and Nadia took Mason into the stargazing room, there stood in the middle of the room were three people. On the left stood Portia, her height standing out harshly against the two men beside her. In the middle was Julian, wearing a giant grin as he caught sight of Mason. Finally there was a giant hulking man stood beside Julian. He wore a bear mask. Asra gave a grin as he saw the man. 

“Mason! You look...” Julian paused searching for words. “positively ravishing!” Mason blushed, his cheeks turning a deep crimson. “Shall we?” Julian extended his arm. 

“We shall.” Mason took Julian’s extended arm. Now Julian was the one who turned crimson. 

~~~  
The three couples entered the ballroom from three different points all at the same time. They all looked at each other and laughed. Then proceeded to the dance floor. 

Julian placed his hand on Mason’s back and interlaced their fingers. Mason rested his right hand on Julian’s shoulder. 

“One two three. One two three. You’ve learned much in the past few years my dear!” Julian murmured. They whirled across the dance floor. Eventually they found themselves near where Asra and Muriel were dancing. Muriel was fairly clumsy but Asra was a great teacher, as Mason knew. Nadia and Portia waltzed over them as well, and anyone who thought their dancing was good would seem like a beginner compared to the couple. Mason suddenly perked up. 

“Ilya! It’s our song! C’mon!” Mason exclaimed with glee. Julian laughed and the two waltzed away. The plan had come into place. All of Nadia’s sisters and the two couples carefully ushered people off the dance floor until it was just Julian and Mason who remained. Mason hadn’t noticed a thing he was so happy. Tonight was the best night ever. The song finally came to an end. Mason looked around. Everyone was standing at the walls. Julian knelt down. 

“Mason. You are the most important thing that has ever happened to me. Without you I never would have forgiven myself and moved beyond my past. You’re the light of my life. The stars to my night. I love you.” Julian rummaged for something in his pockets before pulling out a small box. “Mason will you do me the honour of being my husband?” A hush fell over the room. You could practically hear crickets. 

“Ever the drama queen...” Mason chuckled, he pressed a soft kiss to Julian’s lips. “Of course. I accept.”

A thunderous applause broke out throughout the ballroom. Julian placed the ring on Mason’s finger and stood up. Portia rushed up to Julian while Asra ran to Mason. They both squeezed the now engaged pair in a ginormous hug. He band started playing. 

“Tonight is definitely a night to remember.” Mason grinned at Julian. 

“Yes my dear. It certainly is...” 

Julian leaned down as Mason stood on his tip toes. People kept dancing around them but neither one cared. Julian and Mason kissed and danced. Not having eyes for anyone but each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If this gets nice feedback I might write another fic. So let me know in the comments!


End file.
